Pumping apparatus for flowable concrete or the like

ABSTRACT

A pumping apparatus for flowable concrete or the like, the apparatus including at least one driving chamber separated from at least one driven chamber by at least one flexible diaphragm which is movable between predetermined positions by the flow of pressurized liquid into and out of the or each driving chamber, a pumping unit having its inlet adapted for connection to a liquid supply source and its outlet connected to the inlet of the or each driving chamber and outlet of the driven chamber for connection to a controlled discharge, the construction and arrangement being such that on flowable concrete being allowed to flow into the or each driven chamber onto its diaphragm, differential pressure is applied to the or each diaphragm to cause the concrete to be pumped through the outlet of the or each driven chamber.

United States Patent [151 3,659,966 Faber 1 y 2, 1972 [54] PUMPING APPARATUS FOR FLOWABLE CONCRETE OR THE LIKE Primary Examiner-Robert M. Walker Attorney-Young & Thompson 57] ABSTRACT A pumping apparatus for flowable concrete or the like, the apparatus including at least one driving chamber separated from at least one driven chamber by at least one flexible diaphragm which is movable between predetermined positions by the flow of pressurized liquid into and out of the or each driving chamber, a pumping unit having its inlet adapted for connection to a liquid supply source and its outlet connected to the inlet of the or each driving chamber and outlet of the driven chamber for connection to a controlled discharge, the construction and arrangement being such that on flowable concrete being allowed to flow into the or each driven chamber onto its diaphragm, differential pressure is applied to the or each diaphragm to cause the concrete to be pumped through the outlet of the or each driven chamber.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY *JMJ ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS PUMPING APPARATUS FOR FLOWABLE CONCRETE OR THE LIKE This invention relates to improvements in pumping apparatus designed for use in the transference of flowable concrete or other highly viscous flowable materials.

Existing types of such apparatus have proven very costly and also wear out fairly rapidly with extremely high maintenance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pumping apparatus for flowable concrete or the like, the apparatus having such a construction that the concrete is efficiently and effectively pumped by a more economical form of pump.

Accordingly the invention consists of a pumping apparatus for flowable concrete or the like, the apparatus including at least one driving chamber separated from at least one driven chamber by at least one flexible diaphragm which is movable between predetermined positions by the flow of pressurized liquid into and out of the or each driving chamber, a pumping unit having its inlet adapted for connection to a liquid supply source and its outlet connected to the inlet of the or each driving chamber and outlet of the driven chamber for connection to a controlled discharge, the construction and arrangement being such that on flowable concrete being allowed to flow into the or each driven chamber, onto its diaphragm, differential pressure is applied to the or each diaphragm to cause the concrete to be pumped through the outlet of the or each driven chamber.

In further describing the invention reference will be made hereinafter to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing diagrammatically a closed hollow vessel with the diaphragm in the non-pumping positron,

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing arrangement of components in the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is cross-section through a muIti-port valve and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing arrangement with a two-pumping apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing arrangement of components in the two-pumping apparatus.

In giving effect to the invention, the closed hollow vessel comprises a lower base member and an upper member 11. Each member is provided with an external flange having aligning holes. The flanges of the two members 10, 1 1, and that of the flexible diaphragm 12 are secured by bolts 13, the diaphragm dividing the closed vessel into the two chambersdriving chamber 14 and the driven chamber 15.

The driven chamber 15 is generally of a truncated conical shape leading into a secondary chamber or pipe 16 tapering to an angle outlet 16. The driving chamber 14 is of a circular cup shape having a dished bottom 17. Near the bottom of this chamber is positioned a cock 18 connected by a flexible tube 19 through the diaphragm 12 for the purpose of bleeding air from the driven chamber 15. The lower member 10 also has an inlet connection pipe 20 at its bottom.

The upper member 11 further has an inlet opening 21 to receive the bottom and discharging end of a concrete charging hopper 22. Closing the opening 21 is a non-retum flap valve 23 located inside the driven chamber 15 by having its lower edge hinged to the wall of the upper member 11. The hinge flap valve 23 can open right out or be closed completely. In FIG. 1 the valve 23 is shown partially open. A chain 24 is attached between the valve 23 and a wall of the hopper 22, by pulling on this chain 24, the valve 23 may be closed, or on releasing the chain the valve is fully opened for cleaning purposes.

In use with the apparatus, wet concrete is poured into the hopper 22 preferably through a screen 25 the concrete passing down through the opening 21 past the opened valve 23 and on to the upper surface of the diaphragm 12, which is relaxed or at rest, to fill the driven chamber 15. Water under pressure is then forced into the driving chamber 14 from its inlet pipe 20 and this water exerts its pressure on to the diaphragm 12 to .close the valve 23 and to force the wet concrete from the driven chamber 14 out through the tapered pipe 16 and its outlet 16'. This delivering pipe is the start of a wet'concrete delivery line such as a flexible hose (not shown). The water is then exhausted from the driving chamber 14, allowing the diaphragm 12 to return to its relaxed position and the flap valve 23 again releases and the filling and pumping action is again repeated.

To achieve this effectively and efficiently, the pumping apparatus further includes a multi-port valve system arranged with a series of pipes connected as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2. In such system, the liquid supply source consists of a reservoir water tank 26, the multi-port valve 27 and a centrifu gal water pump 28 which is operatively coupled to a motor (not shown). The valve 27 has a body 29 (FIG. 3) having four ports 30. 31, 32 and 33 and a valve plug 34 rotatably mounted within the body 29 controllable by a handle 35. This valve plug 34 has an angular port 36 communicating with port 31 and capable of connection with any one of the three ports 30-32 in a movement of the valve plug 34,

A side pipe 37 is provided and connected at one end to the water pressure pipe 20 and at its other and remote end through a smaller bore pipe 38 to the suction side of the pump 28.1n the pipe 37 is slidably mounted a piston 39 which is connected tothe center of the diaphragm 12 by means of a flexible connection such as a wire cable 40, This so-connected piston 39 will keep the center of the diaphragm 12 at a low position when pumping the concrete out of the driven chamber 15.

In use the pump 28 is kept running continuously and therefore exerting water delivery pressure.

With the port 36 of the valve plug 34 connecting with the port 30 of the valves body 29 water can be drawn from the water tank 26 through the pipe 41 the port 31 in the body and the pipe 42 to the suction side of the centrifugal pump 28. This pump exerts water pressure along pipe 43, the valve 27 via its ports 32 and 33 along the pipe 20 to give driving action to the diaphragm 12. When the apparatus has delivered its upper chamber (15) of concrete, the control valve 27 is adjusted and then the water pump 28 draws water from the chamber 14 along the pipe 20 through the valve 27, and the pipe 42 and delivers this water back the tank 26 through the pipes 43 and 41. A branch 44 is provided in the pipe 43 incorporating a shut-off valve 45 and is merely a water pressure connection for cleaning purposes. However, a further shut-off valve 46 is incorporated in the pipe 43 to interrupt the water driving action in the chamber 14 when required.

Whilst only one diaphragm pumping apparatus has been referred to above it will be appreciated that two of such apparatus can be incorporated, and in fact preferred in order to achieve a better and more efficient pumping system.

In this connection, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there are two of the apparatus l5, 15 connected to a central hopper 25. Each of the pumps 15, 15 includes a flap valve as earlier described. The pumping unit common to the two pumps is operable by a single connected motor and has a volumetric capacity dependent upon that of the two flexible diaphragm pumping vessels and viscosity of the flowable concrete.

For the further pumping apparatus 15', a pipe 20 to its driving chamber is connected to the pipe 41 and valves 47 and 48 are interposed in the pipes 20' and 41 respectively as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 5. By closing the valve 47 the apparatus operates normally for the single apparatus 15 as above-described. However when opening the valve 47 and closing the valve 48, the further pumping apparatus 15' can be operated in a closed circuit.

In a common outlet 17 from the driven chamber of both apparatus, a three-way valve 49 is located for selective discharge from either chamber 15. Appropriate operation of the valve 27 with the pumping unit in operation will cause fluctuating pressures on each diaphragm which in turn pumps flowable conctete through the respective driven chamber and its outlet.

101034 OlOl By controlling the various cocks, one of the vessels may be made inactive whilst the other is working. By the employment of twin vessels, a continuous flow of the concrete is obtained, as one driven chamber is discharging concrete while the other being charged with concrete under gravity feed from the hopper or other means.

What is claimed is:

1. A pumping apparatus for flowable concrete comprising a driving chamber, a driven chamber, a flexible diaphragm separating said driving and driven chambers from each other, means to move a fluid under pressure into and out of the driving chamber thereby to move the diaphragm and to pump concrete from the driven chamber, and means to supply concrete to the driven chamber, the driven chamber having a truncated tapered shape leading into a tapered secondary chamber which in turn leads into a tapered angled outlet, whereby concrete pumped by the diaphragm moves through said truncated driven chamber and into said secondary chamber and then into said tapered angle outlet with progressively increasing velocity.

2. A pumping apparatus comprising two assemblies as claimed in claim 1, said fluid supply means supplying fluid to both said driving chambers.

3. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said concrete supply means comprising a hopper for concrete, and a oneway valve interconnecting the bottom of said hopper with said driven chamber so as to permit the flow of concrete from said hopper into the driven chamber but to prevent the flow of concrete from said driven chamber back into said hopper.

4. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a flexible member within the driving chamber and connected to a central portion of the diaphragm to limit the movement of the central portion of the diaphragm into the driven chamber.

5. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 4, said diaphragm being substantially horizontal and said driven chamber being disposed above said driving chamber with the axis of said truncated driven chamber disposed upright.

6. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 2, and a multiport valve for directing said fluid under pressure alternately into the driving chambers of said two assemblies. 

1. A pumping apparatus for flowable concrete comprising a driving chamber, a driven chamber, a flexible diaphragm separating said driving and driven chambers from each other, means to move a fluid under pressure into and out of the driving chamber thereby to move the diaphragm and to pump concrete from the driven chamber, and means to supply concrete to the driven chamber, the driven chamber having a truncated tapered shape leading into a tapered secondary chamber which in turn leads into a tapered angled outlet, whereby concrete pumped by the diaphragm moves through said truncated driven chamber and into said secondary chamber and then into said tapered angle outlet with progressively increasing velocity.
 2. A pumping apparatus comprising two assemblies as claimed in claim 1, said fluid supply means supplying fluid to both said driving chambers.
 3. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said concrete supply means comprising a hopper for concrete, and a one-way valve interconnecting the bottom of said hopper with said driven chamber so as to permit the flow of concrete from said hopper into the driven chamber but to prevent the flow of concrete from said driven chamber back into said hopper.
 4. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a flexible member within the driving chamber and connected to a central portion of the diaphragm to limit the movement of the central portion of the diaphragm into the driven chamber.
 5. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 4, said diaphragm being substantially horizontal and said driven chamber being disposed above said driving chamber with the axis of said truncated driven chamber disposed upright.
 6. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 2, and a multi-port valve for directing said fluid under pressure alternately into the driving chambers of said two assemblies. 